Pedro Nuno Santos did “something that is often not done in Portugal: he assumed responsibilities”
Despite regretting the departure of a minister who “has always been an open door to dialogue”, the president of SNPVAC considers that Pedro Nuno Santos was right to assume responsibilities in the case involving compensation paid by TAP to the former Secretary of State for the Treasury , Alexandra Reis.
“We always listen to our claims, it has always been an open door to dialogue. I’m sorry that this whole situation has involved him. [Pedro Nuno Santos]but the truth is that it was necessary to carry responsibilities in a painful investigation, I think he satisfactorily something that is often not done in Portugal, which is to assume responsibilities”, underlined Ricardo Perranoias.
The departure of the Minister of Infrastructure did not resist the most recent controversy involving TAP. In the statement, released at the end of this Wednesday night, Pedro Nuno Santos said that “in view of the public perception and the collective feeling generated around” the TAP case, he decided to “assume political responsibility and present his resignation”.
The resignation took place about 24 hours after the Minister of Finance, Fernando Medina, dismissed the Secretary of State for the Treasury, less than a month after Alexandra Reis took office and after four days of controversy with a compensation of 500 thousand euros paid by TAP, supervised by Pedro Nuno Santos.
The compensation to Alexandra Reis was criticized by all the opposition and even questioned by the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, when he said that “there are those who think” that it would be “beautiful” for Alexandra Reis to do without the amount.
Alexandra Reis received a compensation of half a million euros for leaving early, in February, the position of executive administrator of the air carrier, when she still had to fulfill functions for two years and in June, she was appointed by the Government to the presidency of Navegação Aérea de Portugal (NAV). This month she was chosen for Secretary of State Treasury.